New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday adjourned, till January 3, 2024, the hearing on Central Bureau of Investigation’s petition challenging the interim bail granted by the Bombay High Court to former ICICI bank chief Chanda Kochhar in the alleged Videocon loan fraud case.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and SC Sharma decided to adjourn the hearing after senior advocate Amit Desai, who appeared on Kochhar’s behalf via video conferencing, submitted that he is facing connectivity issues and intends to appear physically for making submissions in the case.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who appeared for the CBI, pressed that the matter be listed Wednesday and should not be adjourned for long.
Thereafter, the top court decided that it will take up the matter for further hearing on January 3 next year.
Earlier, the top court had raised eyebrows over continuation of Kochhar’s interim bail for 11 months.
“Is interim bail still continuing? Why are you not objecting?” Justice Trivedi had asked the CBI.
In response, Raju had said that the CBI has been objecting and will file an application before Bombay High Court for vacating the interim order. He had added that the basis of grant of interim bail given by the High Court is itself erroneous and therefore, being challenged by the central investigative agency before the apex court.
Giving a last opportunity, the apex court had said that it will take up the matter for hearing December 11.
In a special leave petition before the apex court, the CBI had challenged the Bombay HC decision directing release of Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar from judicial custody on the ground that the arrest made was not in accordance with the law. The High Court order of January 9, granting interim bail for two weeks only, is still continuing.
Kochhar and her family are alleged to have received kickbacks over her tenure in lieu of loans provided to the Videocon group.
IANS